G R Lambert & Company
Chinese opera actors
1900 – 1910
Singapore
2001-05148
NHB Collections
National Museum of Singapore

This picture shows Chinese opera actors of the past. The Chinese opera shows of different kinds were widely popular in Singapore in the past. Chinese immigrants brought this unique art form to Singapore. Opera was performed in the different dialects, mainly Cantonese, Hokkien and Teochew. This popular art form however declined with the emergence of cinemas and silent movies. Also, the demand for these performances dropped as Singaporeans are no longer as well versed in their dialects as in the past. Also, less Singaporeans appreciate this art form in this era of movies and television drama serials.

After recently watching the film Sin Sai Hong, courtesy of the National Museum of Singapore, I remembered the times when my aunt used to bring me to the People’s theatre at Kreta Ayer to watch opera performances. The beautiful costumes and intricate accessories help make the stories come alive. The spirit of the performers are appreciated by the crowds of audience and the popularity of opera was overwhelming. However, today, the turnout for street opera performances is mediocre at best. Sadly, even though the performances are of a high standard, there are little who appreciate. Today most performances are done as performances for the Gods. Thus the number of performances is dwindling and it is rare today to catch a Chinese opera performance. The question that lies with Singaporeans today is whether this unique art form will still continue to exist in Singapore in the future.

These photographs are from my own collection, the beautiful costumes make the shows much more enjoyable too.

Will opera in Singapore take its final bow soon? Just like the actors seen here.